Bangladesh Lose Their Nerve Again as Ben Curran and Zimbabwe Seal the Series in Harare

Bangladesh did not lose this match because the target was impossible. They lost it because the chase again became too heavy for their temperament.

At one stage in Harare, 248 looked manageable. Tanzid Hasan Tamim had given Bangladesh a base. Towhid Hridoy had settled in. Nurul Hasan had added urgency. The required rate was under control, and Zimbabwe were searching for one more opening.

Then Bangladesh opened the door themselves.

Wickets fell at the wrong time, poor choices returned, and another chase that should have been finished with calm turned into a familiar late-innings mess. Zimbabwe kept fighting, kept believing, and eventually turned a competitive total into a series-clinching 13-run victory.

For Zimbabwe, this was a statement. For Bangladesh, it was another warning sign.

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TL;DR

• Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 13 runs in the 2nd ODI at Harare Sports Club.
• Ben Curran carried Zimbabwe with an unbeaten 111 from 135 balls.
• Brad Evans changed the innings with 58 not out from 38 balls, then took 2 wickets.
• Bangladesh were well placed during the chase but collapsed from 207 for 5 to 234 all out.
• Zimbabwe won the series 2-0 with one ODI still to play.
• Bangladesh’s repeated failure under chase pressure has become the biggest story of the series.

Scorecard / Key Information Box

Detail	Information
Match	Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh, 2nd ODI
Result	Zimbabwe won by 13 runs
Venue	Harare Sports Club, Harare
Date	July 9, 2026
Zimbabwe	247/6 in 50 overs
Bangladesh	234 all out in 48.1 overs
Top Performer	Ben Curran, 111 not out from 135 balls
Key Support	Brad Evans, 58 not out from 38 balls and 2 for 48
Turning Point	Bangladesh losing Nurul Hasan at 207 for 6, then collapsing under late pressure
What It Means	Zimbabwe sealed the ODI series 2-0 with one match remaining

Ben Curran Carries Zimbabwe After Early Trouble

Bangladesh had good reason to feel satisfied after choosing to bowl first.

Taskin Ahmed struck twice inside the first three overs, removing Brian Bennett for a duck and Innocent Kaia for 4. Zimbabwe were 8 for 2, then 32 for 3 when Nahid Rana bowled Craig Ervine. At that stage, Bangladesh had the game moving in the direction they wanted.

The bowlers were disciplined enough to keep Zimbabwe under 250. Taskin finished with 2 for 57, Nahid Rana took 1 for 48, Mehidy Hasan Miraz returned a controlled 2 for 32, and Rishad Hossain picked up one wicket. Zimbabwe were never allowed to explode through the middle overs.

Yet Bangladesh could not remove Ben Curran.

Curran’s unbeaten 111 from 135 balls was not a reckless hundred. It was a patient, intelligent innings built around survival, tempo, and responsibility. Zimbabwe needed someone to bat deep after losing early wickets, and Curran accepted the role without chasing style points.

He added 68 with Sikandar Raza, who made 33 from 53 balls, and then found the perfect late-innings partner in Brad Evans. By the end, Curran had turned Zimbabwe’s innings from fragile to competitive.

For a team defending a series lead, that kind of innings carries more value than the strike rate alone suggests.

Brad Evans Changes the Shape of the Match

Zimbabwe were 148 for 6 in the 37th over when Brad Evans joined Curran.

Bangladesh should have closed the innings down from there. Instead, Evans shifted the pressure back.

His unbeaten 58 from 38 balls gave Zimbabwe the late acceleration they badly needed. He struck two fours and five sixes, taking advantage of anything loose and forcing Bangladesh to defend rather than attack. The unbroken 99-run stand between Curran and Evans turned 200 into 247 and gave Zimbabwe’s bowlers a total they could defend.

That partnership became the difference between a below-par score and a fighting score.

Zimbabwe still finished under 250, which means Bangladesh’s bowlers had done a lot right. But in ODI cricket, the last 10 overs often decide the emotional direction of the chase before it even starts. Bangladesh allowed Evans to give Zimbabwe belief.

That belief carried into the second innings.

For more context on how late lower-order runs can reshape a limited-overs match, read our recent report on Zimbabwe defending 141 after Nahid Rana’s six-wicket spell.

Bangladesh Had the Chase Under Control, Then Lost It

Bangladesh’s chase did not begin perfectly.

Soumya Sarkar fell for 5, and Najmul Hossain Shanto made only 9. At 38 for 2, Zimbabwe had early pressure. But Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Towhid Hridoy rebuilt the innings with an 84-run stand, giving Bangladesh a clear route toward the target.

Tanzid made 57 from 70 balls. Hridoy followed with 60 from 90. Both innings had value because they took Bangladesh close to the point where the chase should have become simple.

That is what makes the defeat harder to accept.

Bangladesh were 122 for 3 when Tanzid fell. They were 169 for 4 when Hridoy was dismissed. Even at 207 for 6 after Nurul Hasan’s wicket, the chase was still within reach. Bangladesh needed 41 from 48 balls with four wickets in hand.

A mature ODI side finishes that match.

Bangladesh did not.

Rishad Hossain fell for 8. Taskin Ahmed was out for 0. Shoriful Islam was bowled by Evans for 6. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, left with the responsibility of finishing the chase, was caught off Richard Ngarava for 27 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 234.

This was less about Zimbabwe finding magic and more about Bangladesh gifting the match away under pressure.

Zimbabwe’s Bowlers Were Disciplined, Patient, and Mature

Zimbabwe’s bowling effort deserves serious credit.

They did not panic when Bangladesh had partnerships. They did not scatter the field too early. They kept asking batters to make decisions, and Bangladesh kept making the wrong ones.

Richard Ngarava led the attack with 3 for 55 and took the final wicket. Blessing Muzarabani’s 2 for 33 from 10 overs was arguably just as important because he controlled the chase from the top. Evans backed up his batting with 2 for 48, while Sikandar Raza, Brian Bennett, and Wessly Madhevere each found key breakthroughs.

Bennett’s wicket of Tanzid was especially important because it broke the stand that had given Bangladesh control. Madhevere’s dismissal of Hridoy was another turning point. Ngarava’s removal of Nurul Hasan pushed the game toward Zimbabwe again.

This was mature defensive bowling. Zimbabwe did not bowl like a team hoping Bangladesh would collapse. They bowled like a team that believed pressure could be built one over at a time.

The result proves they were right.

Bangladesh’s Batting Problem Is Now a Pattern

One poor chase can be dismissed as a bad day. Two in a row begins to look like a pattern.

Bangladesh failed to chase 142 in the first ODI. They then failed to chase 248 in the second. The targets were different, but the problem looked familiar: batters getting starts, losing control, and leaving too much emotional weight for the lower order.

There is enough skill in this batting lineup. Tanzid made a half-century. Hridoy made a fighting 60. Nurul’s 38 from 41 kept the chase alive. Mehidy showed enough calm to keep Bangladesh interested late.

But the collective game sense was not strong enough.

Bangladesh batters continued to give wickets away when the situation called for restraint. Several dismissals came at points where the only real demand was to stay in the match. Zimbabwe were disciplined, but Bangladesh helped them too often.

This is where Bangladesh need a more honest review. The issue is not only shot selection. It is chase structure, match awareness, and responsibility under pressure.

A similar discussion has surrounded other recent batting collapses in international cricket, including India’s poor decision-making in their heavy T20I defeat against England.

Zimbabwe’s Series Win Feels Bigger Than the Margin

Zimbabwe have now won the series with one match to spare.

That matters because both wins came from pressure positions. In the first ODI, they defended 141 after being bowled out cheaply. In the second, they recovered from 148 for 6, posted 247, then defended it after Bangladesh seemed well placed.

This is how teams build belief.

Sikandar Raza summed up the change in Zimbabwe’s mindset after the match, saying the team now believes it can win from any position. That line fits what has happened in this series. Zimbabwe have been tested twice and have refused to go away twice.

For Bangladesh, the third ODI is no longer only about avoiding a clean sweep. It is about restoring some confidence in a batting unit that looks increasingly unsure when chasing.

For Zimbabwe, the final match is a chance to turn a series win into a stronger message about direction, character, and home advantage.

You can also read our cricket features on Kapil Dev’s lasting influence on Indian cricket, Babar Azam’s return as Pakistan Test captain, and how Bazball changed and exposed England.

For official international cricket rankings and fixtures context, visit the ICC’s official ODI rankings page.

Final Word

Zimbabwe won this ODI because they stayed in the contest longer than Bangladesh.

Ben Curran gave them the innings. Brad Evans gave them the surge. Ngarava, Muzarabani, Evans, Raza, Bennett, and Madhevere gave them the wickets. The crowd gave them energy. The result gave them the series.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, will leave Harare with a familiar frustration. Their bowlers kept Zimbabwe under 250. Their batters built enough of a platform. The match was there to be won.

Then pressure arrived, and Bangladesh folded again.

That is the real story of the 2nd ODI. Zimbabwe did not need Bangladesh to be terrible for 100 overs. They only needed them to lose discipline for one decisive stretch.

Bangladesh obliged.